Questlove is many things. Primarily, he’s the funky drummer and founding member of The Roots, hip-hop’s own house band. He’s also a musical aficionado having written books on the history of Soultrain and hip hop, he’s a vast collector of soul and hip hop vinyl, as well as being the owner of one of the best ‘fros in the music business. On Thursday he’ll add one more string to his bow, as he becomes dj for a night at Exil. This should be a night of music that explores the breadth and depth of all things danceable. He’ll be supported by local djs Reezm and Mildred Guy.
Thursday 10 pm, Exil

 

 

The summer and open air cinema seem like a match made in heaven, especially when the evenings are as tropical as they have been lately.
Here are some that are beginning this week and, in most cases, will be continuing for the next few weeks. Filmfluss is the riverside cinema located in Badi Unterer Letten. Films include The King’s Speech (showing tonight), Million Dollar Baby and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The Xenix openair will be showing the debut films of some of cinemas greatest directors including the Coen brothers ( Blood Simple), Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs) and Sofia Coppola ( The Virgin Suicides). Right in the centre of Kreis 5 is the free cinema at Röntgenplatz. Over the next couple of weekends you can see animal themed movies including the Palestinian film La Conchon De Gaza as well as Fantastic Mr Fox and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. If you’d prefer a lakeside setting that’s a little out of town and a little more intimate than the Salt Cinema, then the Ciné au Lac at Richterswil is for you. Films include Birdman, Interstellar and Minions.  Check websites for full listings and to see which foreign movies have English subtitles.
Filmfluss - Thursday until 26th July 9.30 pm
Xenix - Friday until 15th August, various times
Röntgenplatz – Friday (10th & 17th) & Saturday (11th & 18th), 9.30 pm
Ciné au Lac – Friday until 19th July, 9.30 pm

 

 

Just because you’re a club in the middle of the city, that doesn’t mean you can’t spread out into the surrounding area and have your very own open air festival. This weekend, with the promise of more sunshine and warm evenings, Stall 6 is putting on a 2-day open air music festival. Friday is called the Voodoo Rhythm Night, with Reverend Beat Man and Roy & The Devils Motorcycle playing their joyous and raucous rock’n’roll, while Saturday is Global Rhythm Night with Oy from Berlin via Ghana playing their Afrobeat soul live and Tropical Continent Soundsystem djing. On both nights the party will continue indoors with dj's galore playing into the night. Entry to the festival is free both nights.
Friday and Saturday 5 pm (Bar & grill) 7.30 pm (Concerts)

 

 

It may be the hot weather encouraging them to come or perhaps they’re just lost on the way to a Spanish resort somewhere but this weekend sees a British invasion happening in Zurich. Hive have invited Alex Arnout, Dogmatik dance label boss and Samu.l, one of Dogmatik’s best djs and producers, to make it a full on British club night this Saturday. Dogmatik have been around for about 10 years and have been at the forefront of driving the London club scene since their inception. They also have enough of a crossover sound to be fully accepted in the more techno heavy areas of Europe.
Saturday 11 pm, Hive

 

 

If you’re going to spend any time in the city during the summer, chances are that at some point you’ll end up lounging, swimming, drinking and generally chilling on the riverside at the Primitivo, Panama and Stazione Paradiso bars. Like tropical blooms these places disappear once the weather gets cold but return, full of colour and life, every summer. This Saturday, they will be joining forces and putting on a big party called Lettenfest, with local bands and djs playing throughout the day. The whole thing will be broadcast live via Zurich web radio stations GDS:FM and Julie.FM, from their base in Stazione Paradiso.
Saturday 12pm to late, Flussbad Oberer Letten

 

 

With this heat wave set to continue for a while longer, sometimes all i want is to hear music that is as languid and laid-back as i feel. Tora are a band from Australia whose sound fit this summer heat like a hand in a glove, as long as that glove were fingerless and made from ice. Tora have just released their latest EP of what is, essentially, chillwave, that genre of music that mixes soft electronica with gently melodic vocals and if you’re not careful, will carry you away to a land of reverie from which you may never return. They play at Hafenkneipe this Monday.
Monday 8 pm, Hafenkneipe

 

 

 

 

 

The last few days I wasn’t very hungry. Fruits and salads served me just fine. But there must be more to this raw food movement that just simple fruits and veggies. The pop-up restaurant «The Raw Dinner» will fill my knowledge gap – and my stomach - with their five-course-meal. If you’re also interested: I have two seats to give away for this Saturday. Just send me an email.

Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 7 pm, The Raw Dinner